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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mug — to rob
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — a stone
  6. drill — a practice
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mug — a face
  10. squash — the sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com